Duggan Morris was one of three firms chosen to design the first-phase buildings of the Brentford Lock West masterplan – a project to create 520 homes on a former industrial estate next to the Grand Union Canal on the outskirts of west London.

The brief called for 45 low-cost residential units and a strong visual relationship with the waterfront setting. The challenge was to mediate between the surroundings, which vary from the village-like buildings of a nearby conservation area to a series of industrial warehouses to the north. There are also several narrowboats moored nearby.

The site – known as Block G – was divided up into two halves to create a pair of five-storey buildings. Both feature gabled rooflines that create a zigzagging profile.

"The buildings are conceived as cranked blocks following a meandering neighbourhood street held together by a large base plinth," explained architect Joe Morris.

"The roof structure evokes the forms of the nearby waterside sheds with their series of inverted pitched roofs," he said. "Each block is divided into three bays; this articulation breaks the overall massing of the two blocks resulting in a stronger spatial experience."

Both buildings have a concrete framework, but the predominant facade material is brick. A handmade variety by West Sussex manufacturer Freshfield Lane was selected, offering hues of red, brown and blue.

Upright brick courses run between the tall narrow windows, creating subtle horizontal stripes that resonate with the uprights of the powder-coated steel balconies.

"The lightness and fragility of the industrial sheds suggested the potential for a rich and varied language, with varying scales and appearance," said Morris.

Four or five apartments occupy the floors of each block, and every home has at least one balcony. The majority of these face out over the water.

Block G was the first of the Brentford Lock West projects to complete. A block by London studio Riches Hawley Mikhail also finished recently, and the final scheme by Karakusevic Carson Architects is still underway. Combined, the three designs represent 150 new homes.

According to project architect Miranda MacLaren, all three firms worked on their plot separately but there was a collaborative approach to deliver a cohesive whole.

"There was no particular lead on the design, they all naturally compliment one another," she told Dezeen.

The next phase of the masterplan – which was drawn up by Swedish urban designers Tovatt, Klas Tham and Urbed – is now moving forward and will include 141 homes designed by west London studio Mae.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2015/03/13/duggan-morris-brentford-lock-west-london-canalside-housing-brickwork-golden-metal/feed/8Angular wooden roof reduces sound reverberation inside swimming pool by Duggan Morrishttps://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/27/alfriston-school-swimming-pool-duggan-morris-architects/
https://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/27/alfriston-school-swimming-pool-duggan-morris-architects/#commentsMon, 27 Oct 2014 22:00:55 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=577420A folded timber roof adds drama to the interior of this school swimming pool in Buckinghamshire, England, by Duggan Morris Architects, but also helps to prevent echoes (+ slideshow). London-based Duggan Morris designed the swimming pool building as part of an upgrade of the sports facilities at Alfriston School, a state-funded secondary school that teaches

]]>A folded timber roof adds drama to the interior of this school swimming pool in Buckinghamshire, England, by Duggan Morris Architects, but also helps to prevent echoes (+ slideshow).

London-based Duggan Morris designed the swimming pool building as part of an upgrade of the sports facilities at Alfriston School, a state-funded secondary school that teaches 120 girls with moderate learning difficulties.

One of the main requirements of the brief was for a spacious swimming pool hall with minimal sound reverberation, so the architects developed a concertina-like roof structure that echoes the shape of the pitched roofs on other buildings in the area.

"It is intended to draw upon the geometry of the roof pitches of the rest of the school, with the same gradient of pitch and simplicity repeated," he told Dezeen. "This was important to ensure it had a strong relationship with its site, but also because of the very real presence of the surrounding conservation area."

The architects repeated three folded roof segments to create an angular geometry that appears to zigzag back and forth.

The triangular elements were prefabricated off site, then assembled in a way that concealed the majority of joints – avoiding the "aesthetic compromise" of being obviously bolted together.

"The repetition is important because you can begin to think of the efficiency for the purposes of off-site fabrication," said Morris.

"This brings with it the next issue, which is one of size. Here each truss is the maximum size we calculated could be delivered to site on the back of an articulated truck," he added.

A heavy concrete base was constructed to allow the building to negotiate a steep level change across the site.

A one-metre-high strip of glazing separates this foundation from the base of the roof, allowing plenty of natural light into the building, but revealing no more than the heads and ankles of pupils using the pool.

"We designed this building to be a recognisable physical and sculptural object when viewed from outside, but with the most significant and uplifting experience reserved for the swimmer, on the inside," said Morris.

"Views are afforded to the landscape via a continuous ribbon window. Like a continuous jumbo shadow gap, this feature allows a soft light into the space that changes depending upon the time and season."

Internally, materials are left exposed to reveal their natural finishes. As well as the exposed joists of the folded roof, this includes fair-faced concrete blocks and black UPVC flooring. Tiling was only added in the wet areas.

"This attitude of honesty and openness expressed in the roof structure was also driven through the detail and design of the interiors throughout, such that a load-bearing wall looks load bearing, materials intended to retain or reflect water do just that, and so on," added Morris. "You do not find excessive detail and material frippery."

A new changing facility links the swimming pool with a gymnasium extension completed by Duggan Morris in 2010, and also provides an entrance to both. Other facilities include a fitness suite and administrative offices.

The site is surrounded by mature trees, offering some privacy from the houses of the surrounding suburban neighbourhood.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/27/alfriston-school-swimming-pool-duggan-morris-architects/feed/9Duggan Morris injects new life into Georgian office block in Shoreditch with metal meshhttps://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/24/curtain-road-office-renovation-extension-duggan-morris-architects/
https://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/24/curtain-road-office-renovation-extension-duggan-morris-architects/#commentsMon, 24 Mar 2014 16:11:22 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=432357A rooftop extension fronted by a grid of metal mesh and glass contrasts with the original brick facade of this building in east London renovated by Duggan Morris Architects (+ slideshow). Duggan Morris Architects was tasked with adding three storeys of office space to the four-storey Georgian property in London's Shoreditch. As the building sits within a

Duggan Morris Architects was tasked with adding three storeys of office space to the four-storey Georgian property in London's Shoreditch. As the building sits within a conservation area, the architects were required to preserve the existing residential facade above the ground floor shopfront.

"The challenge was to retain the domestic scale windows within a commercial office use, as well as to consider the proportional impact and aesthetic quality of the multi-storey addition," said studio founders Joe Morris and Mary Duggan.

Behind the brick facade, the building has been completely remodelled to generate an interior suited to modern commercial uses. The basement and ground floor are dedicated to retail, but the rest of the floors all provide flexible office spaces that decrease in area towards the top.

The Curtain Road facade features a grid that divides the surface of the extension to correspond with the three bays of the original frontage. Local rights of light required some open sections at the rear to become roof terraces.

A recessed section at the top two storeys reveals a portion of the adjacent building's flank, helping to anchor the extension into its surroundings and creating a small terrace.

The new facade was designed as a simple arrangement of horizontal and vertical units, rendered in visually lightweight modern materials to create a contrast with the existing brickwork.

"To retain the gravitas and independence of the urban block, the additional storeys are designed with an ambition to achieve a lightweight object quality, restrained from any references to the adjacent heavy masonry structure," the architects explained.

A combination of bonded glazed units and panels covered in a wavy metal mesh were installed to create a flush surface with minimal jointing and surface detailing.

The metal panels are perforated with a pattern of holes that allows air to flow through and doesn't obstruct views from inside.

Felt curtains that can be drawn across the large windows create a similar visual rhythm to the undulating surfaces of the mesh panels.

Preserving the facade during construction

Concrete lintels and cills are painted in a matte finish, as are the window frames. The anodised metal panels have a champagne finish to ensure consistency between the masonry and the new architectural features.

Preserving the facade during construction

Towards the end of the construction process, a neon lighting installation by artist Tim Etchells was installed in one of the windows, displaying the message "Shouting your demands from the rooftop should be considered a last resort".

This is a speculative office development generating 20,000sqft (GEA) of retail and work space located at 141-145 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, East London. The project is located within a conservation area defined by Georgian brick buildings and requiring retention of the existing urban block.

The building prior to development was four storeys (G, B+2) in height and is fully remodelled behind a retained brick façade. Above this, three new floors of contemporary office space are added, extending the building to 7 storeys in total, almost doubling the usable area. Planning permission was obtained in September 2011. Construction commenced in November 2012 and completed in October 2013.

Model photograph

The scheme

To generate the required area of 20,000sqft, a further three storeys were necessary within the permissible building footprint which is defined by the alignment of the front facade at street level and the rights of light (RoL) envelope at the rear. There are 7 floors in total (B, G 1-5) diminishing is size as you ascend. Logic and efficiency dictate the plan arrangement. A compact circulation core contains toilets, showers, lift and stair, and is orientated on the tallest side of the building. The offices are maximised with external terraces also carved out of the RoL envelope.

The ground and basement are intended for retail use. As such two entrances at ground level occupy either end of the facade - 141 leading to the upper office levels and 145 directly into the retail unit. Ultimately the building is flexible and can accommodate a single or multi tenant let. To retain the gravitas and independence of the urban block, the additional storeys are designed with an ambition to achieve a lightweight object quality restrained from any references to the adjacent heavy masonry structure. Scale references to the adjacent buildings window punctuation are stripped back by reducing the extension to optimum modules horizontally and vertically. The materials are reduced to mesh and glass with minimal panels and visible jointing. The lack of reveals to windows are intended to further communicate the delicate object form by disguising the depth or make-up of the construction.

Site plan - click for larger image

This object quality is further reinforced by the deep recess to the upper 2 storeys. By revealing a portion of the existing brick flank to the adjacent building block (139 Curtain Road) the weight of the existing fabric is further communicated. This obviously reduces nett lettable area but is counterbalanced by a maximised envelope to the rear. Also the precise fit of the building between party walls without visible overdressing of flashings is intended to allow the extension to read as an independent form intended to appear simply resting 'upon' the facade below and 'between' the adjacent warehouses. A 50mm gap is detailed between the existing masonry and the extension and projecting copings are omitted in lieu of self-draining window sections.

A grid is imposed on the front facade to respond subtlety to the 3 bay house facade below. The plot is trapezoidal in plan and as such a diagonal grid sets up positions of facades and balustrades to the rear. The grid is further enforced at the rear, with smaller staggered terraces, articulating the building where the mass responds to a RoL envelope. Thus a proportional logic of panel size - mesh and glass - is utilised across the facades with the positions of balustrades also defined by the RoL envelope.

Ground floor plan - click for larger image

Materials & colour

The visible facade is made up of mesh and large bonded units. The principle behind the entire facade construction is to use a simple curtain walling system where possible, with bespoke inserts to achieve the non standard details. The bonded glazed units are tied back to the main super structure. The mesh is bracketed off the curtain walling to meet the same plain as the bonded units and to achieve the flush outer layer. This principle continues around the entire facade front and rear. In order to maintain a reading of the building as a whole the colour palette is carefully calibrated to respond to the masonry tones from grey concrete mortar to mid brown bricks. The reflectance of the materials increases as you ascend to sky and the textural quality of each material selected is emphasised by various means.

A champagne coloured anodised metal panel is used for the mesh on the upper storeys. This is perforated with small holes achieving 40% free air flow and is also calculated to appear almost invisible from the inside to retain views across London. A waved profile adds another layer of light quality maximising incident sun throughout the day. The anodised surface is iridescent in sunlight.

Typical upper floor plan - click for larger image

The transition from the mesh to the glazed bonded panel is carefully managed by introducing a matching fritt within the double glazed bonded unit. This softens the overall appearance of the glass which would normally be a contrasting frame and fritt colour. Felt curtains have been introduced to the larger windows fronting onto the street to extend the waved mesh detail across the entire facade. The brick has been lightly cleaned and repointed where spalling with the intention to retain the relic with minimal surface alteration. All concrete lintels and cills and window frames are painted a matt colour to match the brickwork attempting to simplify the reading of the retained element.

At ground level the shop front is framed in concrete supporting the building mass above. The glass panels within being as large as is permissible with the constraints of the tight street and working zone. Again a fritt has been selected to match the concrete colour to soften the junctions. The colour treatment stops at the facade. As a rule the entire office units are white including light fittings and all exposed services.

Section - click for larger image

Theatre

The building has been a challenge in many respects mainly imposed by the condition to retain the existing facade. To an extent the process to retain it required extensive counter intuitive construction works. The delicate quality of what is deemed to be 'permanent' and of historical value has been exposed through the very process of having to retain it. An installation by Richard Wilson at Liverpool Biennial 2007 entitled 'Turning the place over' played on this very condition. A permanent gritty piece of city fabric is explored as an adaptable component. An abstract portion of the facade was mechanically rotated exposing the inside.

Similarly, this revelation of the building fabric became an interesting part of the construction journey that was to be capitalised upon particularly given the visibility of the works from the street and the opportunity to promote the building as a theatrical contribution to Shoreditch, perhaps calling out to a particular tenant typology or exposing a opportunity to use the building in an unconventional way. The construction works required an oversized steel temporary structure to protect the facade from falling which needed to be pinned back to the superstructure. The entire shopfront below was removed leaving the brick facade suspended to allow alterations to take place behind it. Due to the close proximity to the street and the restrictions imposed by the Olympics 2012, temporary scaffolds and coverings were kept to a minimum thus the entire build process was evident throughout the construction phase. Due to the size of the bonded panels a complete weekend closure of Curtain Road to permit safe cranage positioning and installation was necessary.

Street elevation sketch - click for larger image

An installation by Tim Etchells was exhibited to expand upon the theatrics. The piece was installed for 6 weeks from September to October 2013. The neon piece entitled 'shouting your demands from the rooftops should be considered a last resort' was selected for its obvious irony in the context of imminent marketing of the building, but also to demonstrate the opportunity to use the high level glazed pods for exhibition. The neon had the obvious benefit of retaining visibility during the dark early evenings.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/24/curtain-road-office-renovation-extension-duggan-morris-architects/feed/8ORTUS, home of Maudsley Learning by Duggan Morris Architectshttps://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/05/ortus-maudsley-learning-by-duggan-morris/
https://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/05/ortus-maudsley-learning-by-duggan-morris/#commentsThu, 05 Sep 2013 09:55:40 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=353491London studio Duggan Morris Architects has completed a community facility in south London that combines exposed concrete frames with raw brickwork and warm oak (+ slideshow). Named ORTUS, the three-storey building provides an education and events centre for Maudsley, a charitable foundation that acts to promote mental healthcare and well-being, and is used to host

]]>London studio Duggan Morris Architects has completed a community facility in south London that combines exposed concrete frames with raw brickwork and warm oak (+ slideshow).

Named ORTUS, the three-storey building provides an education and events centre for Maudsley, a charitable foundation that acts to promote mental healthcare and well-being, and is used to host workshops and exhibitions that involve the entire community.

Duggan Morris Architects drew inspiration from neighbouring Georgian architecture to formulate the proportions of the building's facade. A precast concrete framework gives each elevation a strict grid, which is then infilled with a sequence of brickwork and glass.

"The building has a simple rectilinear form, with elevations composed to compliment the Georgian principles of proportion, scale, hierarchy and materiality," said architects Joe Morris and Mary Duggan.

The brickwork appears to fade from the base of the structure to the top, changing from a typical London stock to a lighter greyish red.

Floors inside the building are staggered to create half storeys, helping to integrate activities in different spaces. These level changes are visible on the exterior walls and all centre around a grand top-lit staircase.

A cafe located near the ground-floor entrance is intended to entice visitors into the building. The first of several events spaces is positioned on one side, separated by a wide staircase that integrates an informal seating area.

"At ground level, the landscape is envisaged as a series of connected rooms, mirroring the internal configurations thus ensuring that learning activities can spill out in a controlled manner," said the architects.

Flexible and sub-dividable spaces fill the two storeys above, plus there's a concealed terrace on the roof.

ORTUS, home of Maudsley Learning is a 1,550sqm pavilion housing learning and event facilities, cafe and exhibition spaces. The central focus of this unique project, initially coined 'Project Learning Potential', is to create a totally immersive learning environment generating a series of interconnecting spaces to encourage intuitive learning activities either in groups or individually and also to create possibilities for digital learning via social media.

Site plan

The project was initially developed through an 18 month immersion process involving research and consultation workshops with user groups, Kings College Hospital, the Institute of Psychiatry and community groups, with Duggan Morris Architects commissioned to develop the client's brief. This process was ultimately captured through a series of 'Vision Statements', which guided the wider team through the project providing a constant reference point during the design development stages.

Axonometric diagram - click for larger image

The building is now home to Maudsley Learning, a Community Interest Company which has been set up to run the building. It's vision is to raise knowledge and awareness of mental health and wellbeing which it intends to achieve through the building, through the development of a virtual learning environment and the creation of learning events focusing on mental health and wellbeing across a broad audience.

Lower ground floor plan - click for larger image and key

In response to locally evident contextual influences the building has been conceived as a free standing pavilion, regular in both plan and volume.

The building has a simple rectilinear form, with elevations composed to compliment the Georgian principles of proportion, scale, hierarchy and materiality. A 1200 mm vertical grid, of precast concrete fins, articulates the contrasting materials of brick and glass, whilst floor slabs are expressed in the same material ensuring the stagger of the floor plates is abundantly clear to even the casual passer-by. Terraces at ground, inset balconies above, and a large roof terrace further articulate the simplicity of the building, whilst creating positive connections between internal spaces and the abundant landscape which sits in and around the project.

Upper ground floor plan - click for larger image and key

At ground level, the landscape is envisaged as a series of connected rooms, mirroring the internal configurations thus ensuring that learning activities can spill out in a controlled manner. A cafe at the ground floor is intended as a marker near the building entrance, aiming to help de-stigmatise preconceptions of mental health and well being, by making the building more accessible to the wider community, sharing with the campus a vision which includes doctors, nurses, teachers, service users and carers in promoting an integrated learning environment; 'Learning for anyone, anywhere, at anytime'.

First floor plan - click for larger image and key

Spatially, the building is planned as a series of flexible, sub-dividable spaces positioned around a central multifunctional tiered space, navigated by a grand 'open' staircase. In cross-section, these floor plates stagger across the section by a half storey, thus the grouping of learning spaces appears to extend from the half landing of the open stair; the aim being to create a stronger visual link between floors enhancing the ethos of an immersive learning environment. The open staircase with its shortened connections across the plan is intended to encourage a domestic scale circulation system and is set away from the lift core to encourage movement and visible activity.

Second floor plan - click for larger image and key

The central space is key to controlling the environmental performance of the building, which is uniquely passive, by introducing abundant natural light from a glazed roof into the heart of the plan, feeding each floor plate. In turn automated glazed vents throughout the building envelope introduce cooling air as required at each level throughout day and night, feeding the central stack of the void.

Long section - click for larger image and key

The building was delivered through a PPC 2000 Partnering project, tailored for Construction Management procurement. It was delivered on time and on budget. As a highly sustainable building it is designed to BREEAM excellent standard and has an 'A' energy rating.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/05/ortus-maudsley-learning-by-duggan-morris/feed/5Old Bearhurst by Duggan Morris Architectshttps://www.dezeen.com/2012/09/20/old-bearhurst-by-duggan-morris/
https://www.dezeen.com/2012/09/20/old-bearhurst-by-duggan-morris/#commentsThu, 20 Sep 2012 13:30:59 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=247700A converted nineteenth century farm building once used for drying hops has been nominated for the RIBA Manser Medal for the best new house in the UK, following a renovation and extension by architects Duggan Morris (photographs by James Brittain + slideshow). Set amongst the agricultural fields of East Sussex, the restored buildings of Old Bearhurst include the brickwork oast house, with

]]>A converted nineteenth century farm building once used for drying hops has been nominated for the RIBA Manser Medal for the best new house in the UK, following a renovation and extension by architects Duggan Morris (photographs by James Brittain + slideshow).

Set amongst the agricultural fields of East Sussex, the restored buildings of Old Bearhurst include the brickwork oast house, with its two circular towers and pointed cowls, and a timber-clad barn.

The architects constructed a single-storey extension to tie these two structures together, but set the floor of the building slightly below ground level to prevent the new roof rising above the eaves of the oast towers.

Roughly sawn green oak clads the exterior of the new block, which accommodates a kitchen, living room and playroom for the client's growing family.

Utility rooms are sunken by another half a storey to separate them from the main domestic activities.

Only the original buildings feature a first floor, creating bedrooms and bathrooms at opposite ends of the house.

Old Bearhurst involved the extensive remodelling of a two century old Oast House to provide space to accommodate the client's growing family.

The scheme included a complete overhaul of the existing barn and roundels as well as the construction of a new annex.

The building is set within agricultural land and defined by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which has drawn out a unique response to the topography, landscape, history and setting.

Site plan - click above for larger image

The project was aimed at creating a unified series of flowing, contemporary spaces, allowing a greater degree of flexibility, linking internal spaces to the impressive rolling fields to the south, and the higher meadow land of the north. Equally, the brief called for a building with character and personality, respectful of the existing Oast house, and taking advantage of the views and surrounding environment.

Ground floor plan - click above for larger image

A key objective of the brief was to 'rediscover' the integrity of the building through careful observation and research where new additions and alterations would work harmoniously to create a new envisioned whole.

First floor plan - click above for larger image

However, the core ambition of the scheme was to create a dwelling which, over time, would come to reflect an exemplar approach to contemporary rural renovation work and to create a flexible living environment for the growing family within the exceptional surrounds.